<h2>Name</h2>
<p>
The Surah takes its name from the word <em>Lahab</em> in the first verse.
</p>
<h2>Period of Revelation</h2>
<p>
Although the commentators have not disputed its being a Makki Surah,
yet it is difficult to determine in which phase of the life at Makkah
precisely it was revealed. However, in view of Abu Lahab's role and
conduct against the Holy Prophet's message of Truth, it can be assumed
that it must have been revealed in the period when he had transgressed
all limits in his mad hostility to him, and his attitude was becoming
a serious obstruction in the progress of Islam. It may well have been
revealed in the period when the Quraish had boycotted the Holy Prophet
(upon whom be peace) together with the people of his clan and besieged
them in Shi'b Abi Talib, and Abu Lahab was the only person to join
with the enemies against his own relatives. The basis of this
assumption is that Abu Lahab was the Holy Prophet's uncle, and public
condemnation of the uncle by the tongue of the nephew could not be
proper until the extreme excesses committed by the uncle had become
visible to everyone. If the Surah had been revealed before this, in the
very beginning, the people would have regarded it as morally
discourteous that the nephew should so condemn the uncle.
</p>
<h2>Background</h2>
<p>
This is the only place in the Quran where a person from among the
enemies of Islam has been condemned by name, whereas in Makkah as well
as in Madinah, after the migration, there were many people who were in
no way less inimical to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be
Allah's peace and blessings) than Abu Lahab. The question is, what was
the special trait of the character of this person, which became the
basis of this condemnation by name?To understand that it is necessary
that one should understand the Arabian society of that time and the
role that Abu Lahab played in it. 
</p>
<p>
In ancient days since there
prevailed chaos and confusion, bloodshed and plunder throughout Arabia,
and the condition since centuries was that a person could have no
guarantee of the protection of life, honor and property except with
the help and support of his clansmen and blood relations, therefore
<em>silah rehmi</em> (good treatment of the kindred) was esteemed most highly
among the moral values of the Arabian society and breaking off of
connections with the kindred was regarded as a great sin. Under, the
influence of the same Arabian tradition when the Holy Prophet (upon
whom be peace) began to preach the message of Islam, the other clans
of Quraish and their chiefs resisted and opposed him tooth and nail,
but the Bani Hashim and the Bani al-Muttalib (children of al-Muttalib,
brother of Hashim) not only did not oppose him but continued to
support him openly, although most, of them had not yet believed in his
Prophethood. The other clans of Quraish themselves regarded this
support by the blood relations of the Holy Prophet as perfectly in
accordance with the moral traditions of Arabia. That is why they never
taunted the Bani Hashim and the Bani al-Muttalib in that they had
abandoned their ancestral faith by supporting a person who was
preaching a new faith. They knew and believed that they could in no
case hand over an individual of their clan to his enemies, and their
support and aid of a clansman was perfectly natural in the sight of
the Quraish and the people of Arabia. 
</p>
<p>
This moral principle, which the
Arabs even in the pre-Islamic days of ignorance, regarded as worthy of
respect and inviolable was broken only by one man in his enmity of
Islam, and that was Abu Lahab, son of Abdul Muttalib. He was an uncle
of the Holy Prophet, whose father and he were sons of the same father.
In Arabia, an uncle represented the father especially when the nephew
was fatherless. The uncle was expected to look after the nephew as one
of his own children. But this man in his hostility to Islam and love
of <em>kufr</em> trampled all the Arab traditions under foot. 
</p>
<p>
The traditionists
have related from Ibn Abbas with several chains of transmitters the
tradition that when the Holy Prophet was commanded to present the
message of Islam openly, and he was instructed in the Quran to warn
first of all his nearest kinsfolk of the punishment of God, he
ascended the Mount, Safa one morning and called out aloud: <em>Ya sabahah</em>
(O, the calamity of the morning!). This alarm in Arabia was raised by
the person who noticed early at dawn an enemy tribe advancing against
his tribe. When the Holy Messenger made this call, the people enquired
as to who had made the call. They were told that it was Muhammad (upon
whom be Allah's peace). Thereat the people of all the clans of
Quraish rushed out. Everyone who could, came; he who could not, sent
another one for himself. When the People had assembled, the Holy
Messenger calling out each clan by name, viz. O Bani Hashim, O Bani
Abdul Muttalib, O Bani Fihr, O Bani so and so, said: "If I were to
tell you that behind the hill there was an enemy host ready to fall
upon you, would you believe me?"The people responded with one voice,
saying that they never had so far experienced a lie from him. The Holy
Prophet said: "Then I warn you that you are heading for a torment."
Thereupon, before anyone else could speak, Abu Lahab, the Holy
Prophet's uncle, said: "May you perish!Did you summon us for
this?"Another tradition adds that he picked up a stone to throw at the
Holy Prophet. (Musnad Ahmad, Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Ibn Jarir, and
others). 
</p>
<p>
According to Ibn Zaid, one day Abu Lahab asked the Holy
Prophet: "If I were to accept your religion, what would I get?" The
Holy Prophet replied: "You would get what the other believers would
get." He said: "Is there no preference or distinction for me?" The
Holy Prophet replied: "What else do you want?" Thereupon he said: "May
this religion perish in which I and all other people should be equal
and alike!" (Ibn Jarir). 
</p>
<p>
In Makkah Abu Lahab was the next door
neighbour of the Holy Prophet. Their houses were separated by a wall.
Besides him, Hakam bin As (Father of Marwan), Uqbah bin Abi Muait, Adi
bin Hamra and Ibn al-Asda il-Hudhali also were his neighbours. These
people did not allow him to have peace even in his own house.
Sometimes when he was performing the Prayer, they would place the
goat's stomach on him; sometimes when food was being cooked in the
courtyard, they would throw filth at the cooking pot. The Holy Prophet
would come out and say: "O Bani Abdi Manaf, what kind of
neighborliness is it?"Abu Lahab's wife, Umm Jamil (Abu Sufyan's
sister), had made it a practice to cast thorns at his door in the
night so that when he or his children came out of the house at dawn,
they should run thorns in the foot. (Baihaqi, Ibn Abi Hatim, Ibn Jarir,
Ibn Asakir, Ibn Hisham). 
</p>
<p>
Before the proclamation of Prophethood, two
of the Holy Prophet's daughters were married to two of Abu Lahab's
sons, Utbah and Utaibah. After his call when the Holy Prophet began to
invite the people to Islam, Abu Lahab said to both his sons:"I would
forbid myself seeing and meeting you until you divorced the daughters
of Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings)."So, both of
them divorced their, wives. Utaibah in particular became so nasty in
his spitefulness that one day he came before the Holy Prophet and
said: "I repudiate <em>An-najmi idha hawa and Alladhi dana fatadalla</em>" and
then he spat at him, but his spital did not fall on him. The Holy
Prophet prayed: "O God, subject him to the power of a dog from among
Your dogs."Afterwards, Utaibah accompanied his father in his journey
to Syria. During the journey the caravan halted at a place which,
according to local people, was visited by wild beasts at night. Abu
Lahab told his companions, the Quraish: "Make full arrangements for
the protection of my son, for I fear the curse invoked by Muhammad
(upon whom be Allah's peace) on him." Accordingly, the people made
their camels sit all around Utaibah and went to sleep. At night a
tiger came which crossed the circle of the camels and devoured Utaibah
tearing him to pieces. (Ibn Abdul Barr: <em>Al-Istiab</em>; Ibn Hajar: Al-
Isabah; Abu Nuaim al-Isfahani: <em>Dalail an-Nubuwwat</em>; As-Suhaili: <em>Raud
al-Unuf</em>. Here there is a difference of opinion. Some reporters say
that the divorce took place after the Holy Prophet's proclamation of
Prophethood and some say that it took place after the revelation of
<em>Tabbat yada Abi Lahab</em>. There is also a difference of opinion about
whether Abu Lahab's this son was Utbah or Utaibah. But this much is
confirmed that after the conquest of Makkah, Utbah embraced Islam and
took the oath of allegiance at the Holy Prophet's hand. Therefore, the
correct view is that it was Utaibah). 
</p>
<p>
Abu Lahab's wickedness can be
judged from the fact that when after the death of the Holy Prophet's
son Hadrat Qasim, his second son, Hadrat Abdullah, also died, this man
instead of condoning with his nephew in his bereavement, hastened to
the Quraish chiefs joyfully to give them the news that Muhammad (upon
whom be Allah's peace and blessings) had become childless that night.
This we have already related in the commentary of Surah Al-Kauthar.
</p>
<p>
Wherever the Holy Prophet went to preach his message of Islam, this
man followed him and forbade the people to listen to him. Rabiah bin
Abbad ad- Dill has related:"I was a young boy when I accompanied my
father to the face of Dhul-Majaz. There I saw the Holy Messenger (may
peace be upon him) who was exhorting the people, saying: 'O people,
say: there is no deity but Allah, you will attain success.'Following
behind him I saw a man, who was telling the people; `This fellow is a
liar: he has gone astray from his ancestral faith.' I asked; who is
he?The people replied: He is his uncle, Abu Lahab." (Musnad Ahmad,
Baihaqi). Another tradition from Hadrat Rabiah is to the effect; "I
saw that the Holy Prophet went to the halting place of each tribe and
said: `O children of so and so, I have been appointed Allah's
Messenger to you. I exhort you to worship only Allah and to associate
none with Him. So, affirm faith in me and join me so that I may fulfill
the mission for which I have been sent.'Following close behind him
there was a man who was saying: `O children of so and so, he is
leading you astray from Lat and Uzza and inviting you to the religion
of error and innovation which he has brought. Do not at all listen to
what he says and do not follow him.' I asked my father: who is he?He
replied: he is his uncle, Abu Lahab." (Musnad Ahmad, Tabarani). Tariq
bin Abdullah al-Muharibi's tradition is similar. He says: "I saw in
the fare of Dhul-Majaz that the Holy Messenger (upon whom be peace)
was exhorting the people, saying: `O people, say <em>La ilaha ill-Allah</em>,
you will attain success', and behind him there was a man who was
casting stones at him, until his heels bled, and he was telling the
people: 'Do not listen to him, he is a liar.' I asked the people who
he was. They said he was his uncle, Abu Lahab." (Tirmidhi). 
</p>
<p>
In the 7th
year of Prophethood, when all the clans of Quraish boycotted the Bani
Hashim and the Bani al- Muttalib socially and economically, and both
these clans remaining steadfast to the Holy Prophet's support, were
besieged in Shib Abi Talib, Abu Lahab was the only person, who sided
with the disbelieving Quraish against his own clan. This boycott
continued for three years, so much so that the Bani Hashim and the
Bani al- Muttalib began to starve. This, however, did not move Abu
Lahab. When a trade caravan came to Makkah and a besieged person from
Shib Abi Talib approached it to buy some article of food, Abu Lahab
would shout out to the merchants to demand a forbidding price, telling
them that he would make up for any loss that they incurred. Thus, they
would demand exorbitant rates and the poor customer had to return
empty handed to his starving children. Then Abu Lahab would purchase
the same articles from them at the market rates. (Ibn Sa'd, Ibn
Hisham). 
</p>
<p>
On account of these very misdeeds this man was condemned in
this Surah by name, and there was a special need for it. When the Holy
Prophet's own uncle followed and opposed him before the Arabs who came
for hajj from outside Makkah, or gathered together in the fares held at
different places, they regarded it as against the established
traditions of Arabia that an uncle should run down his nephew without
a reason, should pelt stones at him and bring false accusations
against him publicly. They were, therefore, influenced by what Abu
Lahab said and were involved in doubt about the Holy Prophet (upon
whom be peace). But when this, Surah was revealed, and Abu Lahab,
filled with rage, started uttering nonsense, the people realized that
what he said in opposition to the Holy Prophet was not at all reliable,
for he said all that in his mad hostility to his nephew. 
</p>
<p>
Besides, when
his uncle was condemned by name, the people's expectation that the
Holy Messenger (upon whom be peace) could treat some relative
leniently in the matter of religion was frustrated for ever. When the
Holy Messenger's own uncle was taken to task publicly the people
understood that there was no room for preference or partiality in
their faith. A non-relative could become a near and dear one if he
believed, and a near relation a non-relative if he disbelieved. Thus,
there is no place for the ties of blood in religion.
</p>

